By Politiko staff
For Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, the decision of former Marine Orly Guteza to retract his statements regarding cash deliveries to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez comes as no surprise, as he was previously exposed as a “coached” witness during a Senate Blue ribbon Committee hearing last year.
Lacson noted that Guteza’s U-turn was foreseeable after he was prompted on what to say by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta during the September 23 hearing, and following similar retractions by several members of the so-called “Maleta boys”.
“Since on record naman sa hearing ng Blue Ribbon Committee na coached witness ni Sen. Marcoleta si Guteza at naka-live pa nga, hindi na surprising na babaliktad siya balang araw,” the senator noted.
“Naging ‘one dime a dozen’ na ang baliktaran ng testimonya ng mga ‘Maleta boys’ kaya hindi na rin surprising na ang original ‘Maleta Boy’ a.k.a. Basura na si Orly Guteza ay bumaliktad na rin,” he added.
Lacson suggested that the case of Guteza and the other “Maleta boys” reflects an attempt to make personal financial gains from their alleged participation in the flood control scandal.
“Sa lingguahe ng mga mandurugas, ‘lagareng hapon’ yata ang tawag nila diyan – doble-kita, or 40-40 vision,” he remarked.
Lacson previously pointed out that during the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Marcoleta was observed coaching Guteza by prompting him on what details to include in his affidavit.
He added that Senate CCTV records showed Guteza visiting Marcoleta’s office and staying there for half an hour prior to appearing before the Blue Ribbon Committee.
After a prolonged absence from the public eye, Guteza resurfaced and retracted his previous statements, alleging that Marcoleta and former representative Michael Defensor recruited him to testify in exchange for money and educational scholarships for his children.—Politiko.com.ph
